Unit 5: The French Revolution (1789-1815)

1. Napoleon Forges an Empire Unit 5: The French Revolution (1789-1815)

2. Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) • Born on island of Corsica • Military School at 9 yrs. & lieutenant in artillery at 16. • Only 5 ‘ 3” tall! • He joined army of new government, ousted British from Toulon in 1793, & became General at age 25. • Married Josephine de Beauharnais • Oct. 1795 – Royalists marched on National Convention & Napoleon becomes savior of the new French Republic.

3. A Military Genius • 1796 – the Directory sends him vs. Austria & Kingdom of Sardinia – he crossed the Alps & won a series of great victories in Italy. • He became an instant hero in France & his picture was everywhere. He was compared to Julius Caesar & Alexander the Great. • He said “In Italy I realized I was a superior being & conceived the ambition of performing great things.” He wanted to rule France!

4. Napoleon Invades Egypt • 1797 – Britain was only one left fighting France & the Directory wanted to invade England. • Instead, Napoleon suggests & led an attack on Egypt to threaten British India. • British admiral Lord Nelson destroyed a French fleet at Battle of Nile & his army was pinned down in Egypt. • Napoleon kept these stories out of papers & returned once again a hero on Oct. 8, 1799.

5. France Needs a Leader • The Directory had failed – couldn’t make repairs, supply food, & it was corrupt, but it wouldn’t hand over power. • Nov. 10, 1799 – Council of Elders & Council of 500 attacked him & he had to be helped away by his soldiers. • “Kill anyone who resists. Follow me! I am the god of battles.” His brother Lucien helped rally troops by holding sword on his brother. • They fixed bayonets & drove the Directory’s deputies from power in a coup d’etat.

6. A Short-lived Peace Comes to Europe • The lawmakers who remained voted to establish a government of three consuls – one was Napoleon – he became Dictator of France. • Napoleon led his troops from Paris to deal with Britain & their new allies Russia & Austria who wanted him out of power. • 1802 – due to war & diplomacy –all three had made peace with France. Now he could focus on reforms.

7. Exit Slip – Napoleon Seizes Power • T or F: Napoleon became a hero when he saved the French Republic from royalist rebels. • T or F: Napoleon won a key victory in Egypt that led to the defeat of the British Army and Navy. • T or F: Napoleon’s coup d’etat led to him becoming first consul and dictator of France. • T or F: By 1802 Napoleon had defeated or signed treaties with his enemies and Europe was at peace for the first time in ten years.

8. Bell Ringer–Napoleon Forges an Empire • How old was Napoleon when he became a general? • In what nation was Napoleon in when he first realized he wanted to rule France? • In spite of military failure in ______, Napoleon misled his people and returned a hero. • What governing body did Napoleon overthrow during his 1799 coup d’ etat?

9. Napoleon Rules France • 1800 – by Plebiscite (vote of the people) – voters chose new constitution because they were desperate for leadership. 1st Consul had all the power. • Napoleon passed laws to strengthened the federal gov’t & free it from corruption. • Established a national bank & new system of tax collection to give him control of the economy.

10. Other Reforms of Napoleon • Lycees (government-run public schools for males) to provide trained public officials hired on merit & not family connections. • He signed a concordat with Pope Pius VII that recognized influence of Church, but rejected Church control in national affairs. • Napoleonic Code – gave France a uniform set of laws

11. Napoleon’s Coronation as Emperor of France • Dec 2, 1804 – Notre Dame Cathedral –he took the crown from the pope to show he was bigger than Church • Josephine was crowned Empress • This move was supported by French citizens

12. Exit Slip – Napoleon Rules France • Napoleon established _______, or government-run public schools, to provide the government with trained, honest officials. a. plebiscites b. colleges c. lycees • The concordat with the pope gave the ________ supremacy over government affairs. a. pope b. second consul c. Napoleon • Napoleon believed his greatest achievement for France was the ________. a. Napoleonic Code b. defeat of Austria c. national bank • Who crowned Napoleon emperor in 1804? a. the pope b. Napoleon c. Josephine

13. Napoleon Loses American Territories • 1789 – Ideals of Revolution reached St. Dominique (now Haiti on Hispaniola) • Valued for sugar industry & Afr. slaves provided labor force • Toussaint L’Ouverture led revolt & French defeated in 1801 by rebels & disease • Napoleon abandons idea of American empire

14. The Louisiana Purchase • 1803 – The U.S. wanted to buy the port of New Orleans • Napoleon offered all of Louisiana Territory to President Thomas Jefferson for $15 million. • It doubled the size of U.S. • Napoleon needed money and he wanted to punish Britain.

15. Napoleon Conquers Europe • Netherlands & parts of Italy already annexed. • Great Britain, Russia, Austria, and Sweden form an alliance to stop French expansion. • By end of 1805, Aust., Russia, Prussia were defeated. • Largest empire since Romans. • Only Great Britain was left.

16. The Battle of Trafalgar (1805) • Napoleon’s only defeat was a loss at sea to British Navy. • Admiral Nelson split French fleet off coast of Spain and captured & sunk many ships. • Napoleon could not invade Britain & Britain would control seas for next 100 years. • His obsession with crushing Britain would later do him in!

17. The French Empire • 1812 – only Britain, Sweden, Portugal, & Ottoman Empire were free from Napoleon • Puppet rulers, like his brother Joseph of Spain, ruled much of Germany, Poland, & Italy. • He introduced the Napoleonic Code, reduced Church power, & ended serfdom; some saw him as a liberator, but as he taxed and drafted, people soon grew tired of him. • The empire was huge, but unstable & he would eventually be his own worst enemy.

18. Napoleon’s Fear? • He was worried about what would become of the empire after his death. • Josephine bore him no children so he divorced her. • He married Marie Louise (Marie Antoinette’s grand niece) to build an alliance with Austria. • She bore him a son, Napoleon II, whom Napoleon named King of Rome.

19. Exit Slip – Napoleon Creates an Empire • Napoleon gave up on an American empire in 1801 after a successful slave revolt in ________. a. St. Lucia b. Haiti c. Guiana • To gain money and punish Britain, Napoleon sold _________ to the United States in 1803. a. Louisiana b. Texas c. Oregon • France suffered a devastating loss to _________ in the 1805 naval Battle of Trafalgar. a. Russia b. Great Britain c. Sweden • Napoleon’s brother Joseph was the puppet ruler of ________. a. Spain b. Italy c. Prussia